Some Kind of Wonderful

Rosie’s life has become one long string of exhausting worries and stresses: getting her four-year-old daughter, Cass to school, getting to work on time, conjuring up ‘clever’ and ‘original’ ideas for marketing campaigns. She’s only 28 for heaven’s sake, so why does she feel 101? And her husband, Darren, is no help, always working late and at weekends.

When Darren announces out of the blue that he’s been having an affair, Rosie goes into shock. But then she takes a deep breath and decides he’s not the only one that can make life-changing decisions. Opting out of Dublin’s rat race, Rosie sets up a small gallery in Redwood, a stately home in Wicklow that boasts its own wildlife park. Run by the enigmatic entrepreneur, Conor Dunlop and his handsome son, Rory, every day at Redwood is full of suprises.

Background to the Book (Website Exclusive)

I had great fun researching this particular book. I’m a huge art fan. I studied History of Art in college and there’s nothing I like better than spending hours wandering around galleries, mesmerised by my favourite artists like Rothko, Degas and Bonnard. In the book, Rosie sets up her own gallery, so I asked a local gallery called Dalkey Arts (sadly no longer in existence) for help. The lovely Liz told me all about running a gallery: from dealing with artists, to the practical nuts of bolts of hanging pictures and putting in proper lighting, and it was truly fascinating. I also visited Dublin Zoo where the wonderful Gerry Creighton (Senior Animal Curator) told me all about rearing hand baby monkeys and tiger cubs. He had some amazing stories and I still remember his tales of putting baby chimps in prams and pushing them around the neighbourhood! The Shoestring Club has a character, Arietty Pilgrim, who works in Dublin Zoo. I’m fascinated by elephants, so I made her an elephant keeper. That way I got to meet and talk to both an elephant keeper and her wards – it was an amazing day! More on that on The Shoestring Club page. Research is a vital part of the writing process – every detail has to be accurate. Luckily it’s also great fun!

Reviews

Will give you a glow from the inside out. Company Magazine

A funny, fresh look at what happens when relationships go wrong. More Magazine

A page-turner with characters you care about. Heat Magazine

A jaunty, never boring tale, this shows there is life after a break-up. The Star

Webb taps into characters with whom people can easily identify . . . the dialogue’s crisp and lively and it rattles along at a good pace. Worcester Evening News

As soon as I picked up ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’, I knew I was going to enjoy it. Evening Telegraph

With two bestsellers already under her belt, Webb’s talent to tap into the popular vein is undisputed. Irish Independent

A modern day fairy tale with the frogs and even the odd Prince Charming included! U Magazine